Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva

Former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko(31-2) will face “Bigfoot” Antonio Silva(15-2) at Strikeforce 31, in what is the first fight announced for the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament.

5th ranked Fedor suffered his first loss true loss at the hands of Fabricio Werdum. Since then, Fedor’s management company, M-1, has been in negotiations with Strikeforce about a contract extension, though retirement has been hinted by “The Last Emperor.”

Silva(ranked 11th) continues to move up the ranks with recent victories over Andrei Arlovski and Mike Kyle, but he will have to step up his game when facing, what many still feel, is the most dominant fighter the sport has ever known.

Fedor’s conditioning has to be considered a question mark now. He has not stayed active as a fighter, and has even backed off his Sambo competitions. At age 34, he still seems to possess amazing hand speed, and that remains his ticket to victory. His mix of speed and power have led to the demise of many opponents, and it should prove true if he connects in this fight. Silva has been in there with some heavy-hitters and was almost finished by Kyle. I don’t expect Fedor to get submitted twice, so look for him to put his doubters back to rest as he wins his 1st round matchup.